Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-28
STUDY OF MESMERISM.
SOME VERY CURIOUS EXPERIMENTS
MADE AT The CAPITAL.

Journalist Crofrat's Exhibition Of skin In
Hypno,isn-su.gcsted Burglary Com
nitted by = "sensitivo'-Not so Sue
cessfui with Another Subject
". a Croffut has recently taken up the
study of Eaesmerism, or hypnotism, as the
scientists prefer 10 call il Mr.. Croffut
has developed considerable skill in this
direction, and the other night gave an ex-
Eibition Mt his house before noteworthy
audience. Among others present were
Postmaster General Villas anu his family.
Senator INGALLS,, Senator Platt. of Con
nccticut; Gen A. w. Grecly and his wife,
Admiral and Mrs. Russell, Mr.. Coleman,
the commissioner of agriculture; Col.
Nicolay. marshal Of the United States su-
prSmc court: Gen. Bryant assistant at
NAey general; Professor Thompson, OF
the geological survey, and number Of
other scientific gentlemen and physicians.
Before beginning his experiments Mr..
Croffut explained that he had been very
much interested in reading, ia Paris let
tiers. of the experiments conducted by DTS
Charcot and Luys in Europe.
vICAEIoUs CRIMINALITY.
Mr.. CrofIut remarked that the expert
mentation with dangerous drugs and
medcated compounds under scientific
conditions would be postponed to another
evening. but he would Immediately make
tests as To the vicariouS commission Of
crime. After performing some minor ex-
pcrinents and getting his subjects into u
good condition, Mr.. Croffut attempted the
feat of compelling fellow being To COM
nit a crime 10y the force of his own will,
acting upon the will of that fellow being.
One of the subjects, a young woman en-
ployed in the government printing office,
was told to go into the audience and pick
the ladies' pockets. She manifested great
horror of the act and refused, but by an
imperative command the mesmerizer in
tluced her TO comply, and without much
display of ingenuity she got phantom
purse, not n real one, from Mrs. John 9.
Fremont The experiment was not salts
factory as to the practical employment OF
an agent.
Another sensitive. a clerk in depart
ment, was mesmeriZea, and Mr.. Croffut
explained to him that in a house of one
of the neiGhhors, in an upper chamber, in
a certain corner and a certain drawer in
the dressing case was pocketbook which
contained 5000 He described the situ-
alton of e house miputely, the way to
go there, re arrangement OF the dressing
case and 30 op, repeating it over several
times until the subject had the geography
impressed upon his mind. Then handing
him two keys he said:
The larger key will open the front
door OF the house and the smaller key will
open the drawer Of the dressing case in
which the pocketbook will he found"
He told the young man thatif he would
steal that pocketbook he would give him
the money. There was a good deal Of dis
cussion between the mesmerist and his
subject concerning the liability of discov-
cry and arrest, hut when assured that
there was not the slightest possibility Of
anybody interfering with him. and that
there were no dogs about tho place, he
consented to undertake the burglary.
Four or five gentlemen in the room were
asked to follow the subject on his trip.
Due arrangements had previously been
made with neishbor to place the pocket
book in the situation described. The
Young man ran out into the street, turned
the corner, and when he came to the
house described by Mr. Croffut recognized
it at once by the description. He then
began to show the greatest degree of ag;-
tation. looking nervously behind all the
tree boxes and around the corners. and
finally jumped over the fence. saying TO
those who accompanied him as pals
of whose presence he seemed only half
conscious-that he did So lest the gate
should make n noise
NERVOUS AND CAUTIOUS.
When he reached the porch his nervous
ness seemed 10 increase, as well as his
caution; but he unlocked and opened the
door quietly, crept into the hallway.
looked round all the corners and into all
the rooms, found his way up stairs into
the apartment described. drew ont the
kew. unlocked the drawer indicated and
found the pocket book. He was starting
away with il, when one of those who nc
companied him called his attention to the
fact that he had left the drawer open, and
that he had better restore things as he
found them. He replied that that WAS n
good idea, and doing SO, put the key in
ais pocket. He then crept around the
room, looking into other places, and when
asked why he did so, replied that he was
looking for something else he could steal.
One Of the party suggested To him that it
WIS had place To steal anything but
money, for jewelry could be traced while
money could not. This seemed to strike
him as sensible and he remarked that the
pocket book was full Of bills, and he had
better lie satisfied with what he had got.
Then he crept down stairs with great
caution, shut and locked the front door
carefully after him. and reaching the
street, started TO run like a frightened
deer. One OF his attendants caught MIN
by the arm and asked him where he was
going He said he was going home, but
the attendant suggested lie must return
to Mr.. Croffut's house and give him his
share of the money. The mesmerized
thief stopped n moment and said: YES,
it would be mean not TO give him his
share; lie put Us on to the job; we will go
back and deal square with him"
He returned 10 Mr.. Croffut's house,
hanie,! that gentleman the pocket book
and counting out 5000 in imaginary
money, divided il equally between the
two.
This experiment seemed to demonstrate
that, proper conditions existing. crime
may be committed second hand through
mesneric influences.
With another subject Nr. Croffut was
not so successful lie convinced young
man that his brother had been killed by
an Indian, whom he was advised to mur-
der in revenge, and was told that he could
find him on the Capitol steps. The sensi-
tive, though generally obedient under
mesmeric influences, refused to believe
such an absurd story, and after long
argument with Mr.. Croffut, in which the
subject showed rs much shrewdness as
the operator, declined to attempt the deed
he was urged to commit.-Cor. New York
Tribune.
bad Health Versus Good.
The fact is, the advantages OF poor
health have never been rated at half their |
worth. What a deluge of books has been |
poured out to show people how TO get and |
Keep health, and never one to teach |
hem how TO lose il. Take. for example. |